


The Game Repeats

by cubfanfiction



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Demise 2 au, all the hermits will be here at some point, probably some body horror (not too graphic), set in a future season of hermitcraft, sort of ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29746203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cubfanfiction/pseuds/cubfanfiction
Summary: Hermitcraft, several years after Demise. Grian stands before a bone structure, smiling. He was bringing Demise back, and this time the deaths would have a bit more impact than before.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	1. The Beginning

Grian looked at the game he had just finished creating. It was housed inside of a giant skeleton, organized to be easy to read. The rules were simple, survive with your team so you can win the prize- 100 diamond blocks and several shulker boxes of goodies. Every death needed a story, unlike the last game Grian had made. There were bound to be alliances, traps, and rule changes as other hermits dropped like flies.

Someone landed next to him, walking into the rib cage. It was Ren, who adjusted his sunglasses as he read about the game. Grian walked over with a smile, asking if he would join.

"Of course, dude. Now, a hundred diamond blocks as the prize? That's like... five each, right?" He did the math, throwing several blocks on the ground. Grian counted them, returning the extra to his friend as he signed a sign and put it on the board. Ren was now entered in the second game of Demise. He adjusted his sunglasses as he flew back to his base, landing in the center of the wooden platform. Ren had decided to build a treehouse, walking around it to find where he had left the only thing he had brought from the previous game- a pitch black cloak.

As Ren pulled the cloak out, a knock on the door was audible. He invited his neighbor in, turning around. His neighbor had a wide grin and one half of his face covered in metal, stepping back so they weren't so close. It was Docm77, usually just called Doc.

"Hey man! What's with the cloak? Halloween is still pretty far away." Doc kept smiling, leaning on a log. Ren explained the return of the game they had both once participated in. The creeper continued to speak, "I wouldn't expect you to die so early. Just don't listen to Grian- he was the one who influenced your demise."

But Ren disagreed. He had liked being able to cause chaos, and that was hard to do when you were still alive with a beating heart. The duo talked for several more minutes, finishing their conversation as Doc left to sleep. Ren held up the cloak, taking every hole and tear in. He was determined to see what being alive was like this time.

The sun rose over the Hermitcraft server, showing the beginning of a new day. Doc basked in the sunlight as he walked to the shopping district, looking over every shop and game. There was a new game set up. It was in a ribcage, and the rules were explained over a series of wooden signs.

_ Sign up for Demise: Season Two today! It will begin a week from today on June 1st. _

_ The rules are as follows: _

_ 1- The winner wins one hundred diamond blocks. Every participant will need to donate four or five blocks to the prize pool. There will also be prizes that aren't diamonds. _

_ 2- You are allowed to make teams, and the prizes will be split among the members that are still alive at the end of the game. _

_ 3- Every death must have a story that affects your afterlife. If you were burned, then your skin is on fire, just as an example. _

_ 4- Since this event is more for the story, you are allowed to wear one piece of diamond armor and use one diamond tool. Pvp, glitches, and minigames do not count as deaths. _

_ 5- You can only kill others once dead. No exceptions. _

Doc walked to the board of participants, setting several diamond blocks in the chest. Four heads were displayed on the wall; Grian, Rendog, Etho, and GoodTimesWithScar. Doc searched his pockets for his own head, finding one in a barrel nearby. Five heads sat on the wall as the creeper walked back to his base and prepared.

As Doc prepared for the beginning of the game, Scar was flying around and considering teammates. The first duo on his mind was Cubfan and Grian; and he knew they would likely accept his request.

He landed just outside of the ocean where Cub was working, looking around to find Grian's. There was a small island in the sea, which had a tiny fishing hut on it. There was a dock that reached into the ocean, and Scar walked down it. The air was cool on his face as he placed a boat and rowed to the house. It was empty inside, but there was a trapdoor on he floor. Scar flipped it open, climbing down the ladder.

Cub was mining inside, humming to himself. Scar tapped on his shoulder, causing him to jump. They chatted for a bit before Scar explained the game, convincing him to join his team. Their next stop was Grian's starter base, as he had no plans for his megabase yet. Scar pressed the doorbell, waiting as he heard someone running down the stairs. Grian opened the door, inviting them in.

"Grian, I'm sure you know of the fact that we can make teams in Demise: Season Two." Scar said, folding his hands as he sat down. He nodded, setting a tray of cookies on the table. Cub stared at them, taking one as Scar explained his plans to team up. Grian agreed to join the team, and the first team of the game had been created.

Cub and Scar walked out to return home as Grian resumed working. They stood, staring out to sea as Cub decided to finally say; "Why did you choose us as your teammates? I know you and Grian work together a lot, but why me?"

"You're both my friends. We will always be together, no matter what comes between us. Cub, we're a team, and you know nothing will ever change that." Scar said, patting Cub's head as he flew off. Cub stood there, watching the waves crash upon the shore. As Scar faded into the trees and the sun set, he wished he had taken another cookie.


	2. Debts and Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A memory. A team. A threat.

It had only taken three days for practically every hermit to sign up, depositing their diamonds in the conveniently located box. Grian paid an extra five blocks to make the total winnings a round hundred, and he looked over the board of heads. Everyone was neatly aligned on one half, labeled as the Living. The other half of the board was plain black and labeled as the Dead, and Grian knew it would fill up soon enough- all they needed was someone to tip the scale.

False walked over, whistling merrily as she put her sword away. She waved to Grian, making a beeline for him. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Pretty well-- everyone signed up. Even Zedaph's participating-- that's cool to see." Grian said, shuffling around the terracotta of the Shopping Mesa. False nodded, looking over the board.

Someone exited a nearby shop, humming as they happily walked down the road. It was Iskall, smiling as they walked over. False nodded as she looked back to the blank side of the board.

"So Demise, huh. Bringing back an old classic- well, let's just hope that nobody decides to make a group of dragon-headed fools." They said with a smile, Iskallium eye shining in the sunlight. False kept looking back at the board, wishing that something would change. The Dragon Bros of season six were fun, but what if there were more teams, and more chaos? What if she was the one causing that chaos?

"Hey Iskall, want to team up? What about you, Grian?" She asked, forming a plan to get some hermits dead off the bat. Iskall shook his head, willing to go solo until there were only a few hermits left. Grian, on the other hand, admitted his alliance with Cub and Scar. They congratulated him on his team, and False flew off to see if anyone else had plans.

She landed outside of a mansion, knocking on the door. Bdoubleo walked over sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Mornin' False," he said with a slight smile, "how are you today?"

"It's 2 pm, and I'm good. I was considering a small battle before the new game starts. I know you mentioned wanting to practice it." Bdubs allowed her in, sitting on the bottom stair as he reached for a half-full cup of iced coffee and took a drink. He perked up, walking to grab a shimmering sword. False studied it with a nod, running a finger along the gems in the hilt. They signaled that it had Sharpness IV, Unbreaking III, sweeping edge and mending.

"Well, let's do this. Best out of 3 chooses their prize?" Suggested False, walking outside. He followed her and nodded, standing several feet away. False nodded, swinging her sword to begin the fight.

It was in her favor, she had gotten two swings in before he could even move from the block he stood on. False kept swinging as Bdubs attempted to flee, falling onto the ground in a puff of smoke and respawning in his home. She smiled, calling up to him to hand his armor and other tools back.

"That's one to nothing, you're in the lead." Bdubs said, walking back out. He held his sword tightly, staring into False's eyes. She nodded, Bdubs swinging his sword to begin the fight.

Something had changed, however. Bdoubleo charged forward and sliced, retreating when he had won. False couldn't believe that she had lost, especially to him. She retrieved her items, trying to shake off her loss.

"Good job. The winner of this round wins it all." She said blandly, putting her hair up. Bdubs nodded, smiling as they got into position. Due to their respawns, they were marked by their past deaths. Both of them were covered in cuts.

False drew her sword, hitting the hilt of her foe's. Bdubs bit back, pushing her around and False didn't take it. She hit netherite against netherite, only falling to the grass when Bdoubleo had gotten the last say and hit her with the blade several times. The self-proclaimed queen of heads, hearts, and body parts couldn't believe she had lost.

"I swear I'm going to break your knees. You're more useless than a wandering trader-- at least they drop leads!" She hissed, putting the sword away. He shrugged, responding that it was Cleo's line. False walked off, having an idea of who was highest on her kill list once she demised.

Everyone prepared in their own ways, with False scouting around the mansion and other hermits gearing up. Doc and Ren made an alliance just as Cub, Scar, and Grian already had. The former had already begun to build a bunker full of contraptions.

Scar stepped away from his room, wiping his forehead. It was compact and homely, with a row of potted plants under a bright lamp. Cub walked in, sitting on a chair.

"So how's it going? Little shop of horrors going well?" He asked with a grin. Scar rolled his eyes, pointing out that he had only created giant, monstrous plants three times. Cub continued to joke about it, walking over to look.

Grian worked next door, listening as they talked. He hadn't considered teaming up with Mumbo or Iskall, and he felt bad.  _ Maybe that's why he was so quiet after I mentioned it, _ he thought,  _ but he hadn't considered me, and the game needs a story, so that can be part of my character. Yeah, I'm just a character in a story. _

The door shut quietly behind him, causing Grian to jump. It was Scar, setting a small clay pot down. There was a tangle of vines with orange flowers dotted between. They made eye contact, breaking it as Grian studied the plant. It had a faint scent of berries.

"What is this?"

"It's something I made up. Cub knows enough about potions that he can cook up his own, and I stole one to add to one of my plants. It was a tulip at one point, and I thought it would add some color to your room." Scar smiled warmly, twisting a vine around his finger. Grian took the pot and moved it to his nightstand. Scar continued to speak; "And since we're a team, well, I want you two to become friends. As long as we're alive, we'll be a team. If someone dies, they won't kill another one of us. Deal?"

"Sure," Grian sighed. Cub wasn't his favorite person to work with, they had a rivalry that still felt fresh, but he wanted to try to make a friend. Scar hummed as he walked back to his room, caring for the plants before going to sleep.


	3. Bone-Chilling

Stressmonster stared down the hole, listening as they spoke among themselves. Ethoslab, her assistant in dealing with villagers, wasn't there yet, and she enjoyed watching them. The villagers all lived in a hole to bedrock that had an icy spire in the middle that hid two bubble columns, and a set of spiral stairs around the edge. There were several levels for each type of trader, and several windows that let anyone walking down to peer into caves. Since Stress had chosen to build in a mountainous biome, so it cut through hundreds of blocks before it reached the bottom.

"Hey Stress! How are the villagers doing?" Etho walked in, taking off his boots. He lazily pushed his silver hair behind his ear and adjusted his coat. Stress walked over, smiling. The duo chatted for a few minutes as Stress showed him around the area.

Etho sat on the bottom steps, dangling his legs over the jagged bedrock below. It was covered in a thin sheet of glass, shining under the sunlight. Stress walked over, running her hand along the railing.

"I completely forgot to tell you that Xisuma plans to come over- he'll be here when he finishes signing up for that new Grian game." Said Etho, looking around. Stress smiled, glad that someone would visit them.

Xisuma flew around the shopping district, landing outside of Demise: Season Two. He skimmed through the signs, throwing some diamond blocks into the chest provided and staring at the board of participants. His eyes darted over the faces staring into the distance.

He walked around, looking for something to kill time before he visited Stress and Etho. Nothing else looked new, and he had everything he needed for his base, so Xisuma flew west to the mountains.

He landed outside of a large tower that had a cyan beacon beam shining through it. It was made of acacia wood, dark prismarine, and stone bricks, which somehow worked together. Xisuma walked inside, looking around. There was a dimly lit tunnel to his left that bore through the mountain side, with a thin glass pane barrier to stop anything from hopping down. He peered into the hole, walking to the entrance.

"Ello Xisuma! Glad you've come to visit- we'll show you how it works and then you can explore if you want. Maybe we could split in two parts so you can take a break from villagers for a bit."

Xisuma nodded as he spoke, looking around. Every floor was customized to the traders that lived there, giving them a generously sized home and room to move around. Stress passed behind Xisuma, walking to the main floor. Xisuma, upon noticing that she had left, motioned for Etho to follow them up. He set his arms on the glass, staring down.

"Looks nice. Any benefit to the extra space?" Xisumavoid asked, watching as they shuffled around.

"It's much easier to get some zombies in and get their trades lower if you cure them. There's a breeder right under you, so the villagers are easily replaceable." Etho sighed, listening to the villagers speak. Something rattled behind Xisuma, and he could barely warn him before a skeleton shot an arrow into his chest. The armor saved him from damage, but there were no ledges for him to grab onto. Stress rushed over to break Xisuma's fall, but it was too late.

He hit a window on his way down and continued to fall to his demise, hitting the glass with a loud thud. Stress hit the bottom step and watched as several experience orbs danced in the air around his tools and inventory.

As they gathered Xisuma's things, he sat up. The air smelled moldy, and the ground was soggy. He looked at his hands, noticing a steep drop in saturation. He was grey, and the world around him was slightly red. Xisuma stood up, pushing the mud off of his body. Judging by the coordinates on his visor, he was only a short distance south of the mountains.

Etho watched as the first hermit to meet their demise scaled the mountain, walking into the light. The sun set behind him, silhouetting the hermit. He stepped closer, revealing the arrow embedded in his body and cracks on his armor.

"Xisuma, you..." Stress began, holding the glass tightly. He shook his head, holding his arms up.

"I know that I met my demise, but I won't kill you. I promise." Xisuma said, adjusting his helmet. Etho nodded hesitantly, noticing that the golden sunset had faded to pitch-black night. He backed away and grabbed a bed, telling Stress and Xisuma to get some sleep as well.

Xisuma turned away, collecting his things. He attached his elytra to his back and flew off, landing in the shopping district. He was outside of one of Scar's shops, and the warm light pouring from the windows made him shudder. Something about it chilled him to the bone, but he walked onward to Iskall's Anything Goes- a shop based on trades and the sale of items that were annoying to grind for. Xisuma opened a chest, pulling out some sand. He knew that there were bound to be creepers nearby, and if not, he had his own gunpowder.

"Xisuma? What are you doing out this late?" A familiar voice asked. Xisuma turned around to face a mildly annoyed Joehills, hair undone and glasses slightly lopsided. The desaturated hermit smiled sheepishly, putting several diamonds in the chest.

"Nothing, just preparing for that one game Grian made. I was about to go to bed, you know." He fibbed, sneaking into the shadows.

"If it's nothing, why are you acting so weird?" Joe sighed, shaking his head. Xisuma stepped into the light and straightened his visor.

"This is why. Let's just say that some hermits need to learn how to stop mobs from spawning. Goodness me, some people are fools." Xisuma joked, smiling. Joe laughed, rubbing his eyes.

"We should get to bed, come on. Shopping can wait." He told Xisuma, holding out one hand. Xisuma grabbed it, startling his friend by how cold he was. Joe led him to a portal, dragging him back to his base. Once Joe had left to go to his own home, Xisuma sneaked back to the mesa to create some late-night traps and stories. He wouldn't be the only dead hermit for long.

The board had changed from 24 alive hermits to 23, one head on the wall that read  _ Dead _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and a hermit falls. literally.


End file.
